Almaria Ex Libris Apartments | Chiado

Ex Libris is the name of the building, and it’s not just a literary affectation — this was once the home of the Diário Ilustrado newspaper, and even now its ground floor contains a bookstore called Livraria Camões. Upstairs, in the residential portion of the building, is Almaria Ex Libris Apartments | Chiado, whose units are every bit as stylish as any boutique hotel rooms in town, but which are unmistakably full-featured apartments.

They’re notable not just for their size — though the three-bedroom apartments do sleep eight, which is substantial by any measure. They’re also remarkably well-equipped, with spacious, properly useful kitchens as well as laundry machines, in addition to ordinary comforts like smart televisions, wi-fi, espresso machines, and double-glazed windows. Some of them have terraces, and if you’re lucky you’ll have a view of the River Tagus.

What you won’t find, given Almaria’s apartment-life concept, is an expansive lobby, to say nothing of other public spaces like a restaurant or a hotel bar. Given the location, though, you’re not exactly short of options. And the service, it must be said, is hotel-like in all the best ways — just ask the concierge and the neighborhood is yours.